Railroad-car parts



Feb. 14, 1928.

c. H. CLARK RAILROAD GAR PARTS 2 Shets-Sneet 1 .//V VENTOR Filed June 1, 1925 I. l l l I l l l I l I l il.

Febe 14, 1928.

' C. H. CLARK RAILROAD CAR PARTS Filed June l, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :MAK

WWA/55.556.

C. STEM-u1;

Patented Feb. i4, 1928.

HARLES H.CLARK, F BETHEL TOWNSHIP, ALLEGHENY COUNTY., PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-CAR PARTS Appucauonfmed :rune 1, 192s. seria: No, 642,783.

My invention. relates to parts ofr'ailroad cars of the types which are built in accord-- ance with American railroad practice, in' which the connection between each two cars a in train is required to embody particularelements,l especially those cars in which the draft sills and draft parts are required to come within defined limitations of more or less uniform and interchangeable character. l@ Such cars have built into their. structures at eac'h end, a pair of draft sills which are equipped with a group of parts generally referred to as the draft rigging, My invention has particular reference toI improvements in the forms and arrangement 0f the draft rigging parts.l

The forces and vkshocks which are applied to the draft riggingparts in coupling cars together and also in train travel, have been greatly increased in the last few years by the increased size and capacity of the cars, the increased number-of cars in train and the increased weight of motive power employed. y

The draft rigging at each end of la car is made up of a coupler and one or more draft gears (either with or Without followers) together with various parts used to establish and maintain working relation be- 1W tween these elements and the draft sills.v @wing to the large number of cars already in service, certain characteristics mustbe continued as standard for an new couplers which areI hereafter use-d, alt ough they are` :r not necessarily made alike by the different coupler manufacturers. Similar conditions more broadly obtain as to the draft gears,` there being a lar e number of different types of draft gears .manufactured by different concerns, all conforming, however, to standard limitations of dimension and motion, which render them interchangeable in the draft rigging. Myinvention provides the improvements described herein with the parts coordinately operative with the essen tial standards for couplers and draftgears. An object of my invention is to bring the draft gear in the rigging into .immediate operative relation to the coupler head,` the latter being the element which first receives. shocks and 'draft forces and from which they must be transmitted to the draft gear" to be neutralized. y

Another object of my invention is to so` distribute the material of' which the coupler and yoke are made that the stresses due to ycaused by quick reversal of bending moments are reduced to a minimum, and to also eliminate the fatigue forces between tension and compression due to alternate tugging and bufling.

A further object of my invention is to simplify the primary parts of the draft rigging, consisting of the coupler, the draft gear and the yoke, the latter being an element which holds the coupler and draft gear in operative relation to each other.

With the increase in weight, size and capacity of cars and trains, a marked increase in the weight of the draft riggin elements has naturally resulted. Qne of 51e objects of my invention is to reduce the required weight of the necessary elements of the draft rigging.

A further object of my invention is to improve the effectiveness of the cushioning characteristics of the draft gear in relation to the coupler head.

'lhe increased draft forces referred to above and which are being directly applied to the coupler head, necessitate considerable increase in the weight of the coupler head overhangin beyond the-end of the draft sills. An o ject ofmy invention is to connect the coupler head to the draft yoke with greater depth and greater width of material, thus making the connection between them more secure and reducin the opportunity for distortion.

"In the general design of railroad cars of the character considered, it is desirable to have the distance between the engaging surfaces of two connected couplers and the centesof the adjacent trucks as short as other elements of the cars will permit, as this distance is a prime factor in the amount o fside swing re uired for the coupler head to compensate or the angularity between the cen ter lines of two cars when on curved tracks. In large capacity cars intended to be operated in long trains, the practice of/using two draft gears 'with each coupler is being fOHOWed A further object of my inventiony is, therefore, to so shorten the draft rigging that it, is no longer va controlling factor in determining the distance between a coupler and the center' of the adjacent, truck.,

` Throughout theaccompanyin drawin s, my invention is illustrated in p ace 1n re a tion to a pair of draft sills of an American standard railroad car, they being marked respectively 1 and2 wherever shown.

lio

In applying my invention to a single draft gear arrangement, Fig. 1 of the accompanying Vdrawings is a half plan and a partial half section on line 2-2, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation with near draft sill 2 and attached parts removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of draft sill '2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4, F ig. 1, with rear follower removed.

Throughout the drawings, 3 is a coupler head, the one illustrated conforming in outline to what is known in American railroad practice as Atype D bottom operated.

The draft gear is indicated by the space left between front follower y 4 and rear follower', the particular type of draft gear being no part of this invention. Although front and rear followers are shown, their use isrnot the invariable practice, and, therefore, for the purpose of this description, the draft gear will be considered as including the followers 4 and 5. It will be observed that the upper and lower'horizontal sections of the yoke 6 are wider where they join the coupler head 3 than the bufling surface ,20

of the coupler` head` 3 on the followeri4, and that the depth between the upper portion of the yoke 6 and its lower portion, is greater than the depth of the front draft lugs, hereinafter described and marked respectively 7 and 8, Where they engage the front follower 4. This arrangement permits the normal side swing for the coupler head 3 in conjunction with a very wide and deep connection between the coupler head 3 and the yoke 6.

The ends of the draftsills 1 and 2 are lequipped respectively with front draft lugs 7 and 8 riveted to theouter surfaces of the draft sills, and so formed as to overlap the ends of the draft sills and engage the ends of front follower 4. 'lhese draft lugs are so formed in their forward upper portions as 'to provide convenient riveted connection for striking bar 9. Front bottom carrier bar 10 is of a usual form'supported on depending portions 11 ofdraft lugs 7 and 8, and held in place by bolt 12. p

Although the draft sills 1 and 2 .are usually held in fixed relationship to each other and to the car by cover plates across their upper flanges, 'end sills, holsters, etc.,

these parts are omitted for the purpose of clearness in illustrating this invention, and

the parts describedin the preceding paragraphs may' depart from the forms shown to conform to any-desired arrangement of the car end construction without departing from their novel characteristics in connection with this invention. f v

Atthe'iear end of the draft gears and engaging the ends of follower 5 are rear draft' lugs 13 and 14. These include upper extended guides 15 and lower depending portions 16, which, together with duplicates of the forward carrier bar 10 and bolt` here marked l17 and lrespectively, maintain the alignment of the rear end of the draft gear. The rear draft lugs are sometimes made an integral part of the bolster diaphragm of the car body', and this or other modifications of these pieces will naturally suggest themselves to those familiar `with railroad car design. y

Proper operation of the draft rigging requires provision for a limited travel of the coupler head 3 longitudinally parallel with the draft sills 1 and2, to operate the draft gear, and also alimited horizontal motion of the ycoupler head 3 to compensate for the angularity of the center lines of' cars in train when on curved tracks. In the drawings illustrating this invention, longitudinal travelV is permitted outward from the car by compressing the draft gear through tension in the upper and lower portions of the yoke 6, land inwardly toward the car by compressing the draft gear through direct contact between the coupler head 3 and front follower 4 on the buing surface 20. The limited horizontal motion of the coupler head 3 (and connected parts) is indicated by dotted outline 19, Fig. 1, and is attained by moving contact between the coupler head 3 and the front end of the draft gear at 20,'

and a related opposite moving contact between the rear vertical portion 21 of yoke 6 the coupler head moves. The drawings illustrating this invention presume this axis t0 be at the center of the draft gear.

In railroad cars of the character considered, it is necessary to have means for readily removing and replacing the couplers, yokes and draft gears. To install orl remove a coupler and draft gear, bolts 12 and 18 and carrier bars 10 and 17 are removed. This opens suicient space downward for ingress and egress of. the interchangeable parts.

ln the construction of railroad cars of the character considered, it is a matter of prime importance to obtain the highest degree of efficiency iii use for every part of material entering into the car, as these cars are built in very large numbers and the first cost renders the attainment of higher eiciency Vin 'the use of material a matter of very large iis l ber of theirrepair parts either co-incidently with maintaining-their stability of construction or, as this invention does, improving it. For this reason, this invention is 'wholly within the practice in design of American standard railroad carsl intended for interchangeable use and repair upon the railroads of North America and in other countries where standard American railroad practice is followed in car design.

lI'claim: 1. combined coupler comprism "head and yoke standard raft ear and a coupler head inarms, a portion ofthe c arms,

'formed for i than the arms, a portion of the coupler head clos-4 :u

mi the draft gear space, the width of said yo e arms being greater at the coupler head the width of the portion ofthe coupler head which closes the draft gear space.

4. A combined coupler head and yoke adapted `to receive Va standard draft gear and av coupler-'head integrally and directly joined to the yoke arms, the width of thev yoke. arms being greater vat the couplerhead than atthe (portion of the yoke opposite the coupler hea ,5.'Ah integral standard coupler head and yoke adapted to receive a standard draft gear, the arms of `the yoke extending respectively over and under the coupler head and merging therewith, ,forming respectively immediate 'connectionsbetween the up-` per and lowerv 'nuckle pin clevis portions andthe correspo ding yoke arms.

6. A combined coupler head and yoke comprisinga yoke adaptedto receive a standardv draft ear the coupler head being integrally an directly joined to the yoke arms with a portion of the coupler head closing the draft gear space, in combination with means for operatively associating said combined coupler head and yoke with a standard draft gear in a railroad car. s

'7. A combined coupler and yokel adapted to receive a standard draftl gear and embodying a coupler head integral with .the oke arms andclosing'thedraft gearspace,`

1n combination-with means for supporting said coupler and yoke in afrailroad car in operative association with a standard draft gear, rear and front stops for the draft gear,

a yoke adapted to receive a' the front stops being located at the outer end of the car draft structure.

8. A combined coupler head and yoke comprisin a yoke adapted to receive a standard raft gear theA coupler head being integrallyI and directly joined to the yoke arms with a portion of the coupler head closing the draft ear space, means for supportingthe com ined coupler head and yo e in a railroad car in operative association witha standard draft gear, rear and front stops for the draft gear, the front stops being located at the outer end of the car draft structure.

9. In a draft rigging for railroad cars, a combined coupler head and yoke comprising a yoke adapted to receive a standard draft gear with a coupler head integrally and directly joined :to the yoke arms wherein a portion of the cou` ler head forms a bufiing face constituting t e front end wall of the yoke, and a draft gear the followersy of which and said bulling face and the rear end wall of the yoke are formed to cooperate to-permit lateral movement of said coupler and yoke with4 respect, to said draft gear.

10. In a draft ri gin@r for railroad cars, a combined coupler ea and yoke comprising a yoke formed to receive a standard draft gear with a coupler head integrally wallof the yoke constituting a buffer' face, and a draft gear, thel followers of the draft gear ,and said builing face and the rear end wall o f the yoke having curved surfaces to facilitate lateral movement of said coupler and yoke with respect to the draft gear.

11. In a draft rigging for railroad cars, a standard draft gear provided with 'followers having convexed outer surfaces, and' a combined coupler head'and yoke with the arms .and directly joined to the yoke arms, wherevin a portion of the head forms the front end of^ the yoke directly and integrally joined to the coupler head wherein a portion of the coupler head forms the front wall of the yoke with a concaved buing face to cooperate with the convexed face of the front followers, the rear end wall ofthe yoke having a concaved face to cooperate witlrthe convex' surface of the rear followers; said coupler head and yoke being laterally movable with res ect to said draft ear.

12. In com ination, in `a rai road car, a

pair of draft sills, standard draft gear ar-` ranged between said sills and held against lateral movement, a combined coupler head and yoke having the arms of the yoke directly and integrally ljoined to the coupler head, and formed for lateral movement with respect to saidgear and sills, said gear being arran ed 'within said yoke and immediately behind the rear face of said head and arranged to cooperate therewith, and means to transmit'thedraft forces to said sills.

13. In a draft rigging between a pairof draft sills, a coupling device, draft gear, means for operatively engaging the coupling device and draft gear, front draft lugs in operative engagement with the draft gear and arranged beyond the ends of the draft sills, and rear stop means for the draft gear.

la. ln a draft rigging between a pair of dra-ft sills, a pair of front draft rlugs respectively attached to the draft sills with inwardly extending portions of the draft lugs beyond the ends of their respective draft sills.

l5.. ln a draft rigging between pair of draft sills, a pair of front draft lugs respectively attached to the outer surfaces of the draft sills with inwardly extending portions beyond the inner faces of their respective draft sills.

16.,-lin a railroad car, a pair of 'draft sills, a pair of front draft lugs attached `.respectively to the outer surfaces of the draft sillsv and projecting inwardly at the front-poru tions of the sills, rear abutment means carried by said sills. draft gear between said sills and arranged to cooperate with said lugs and with said abutment, and a coupler head and yoke unit arranged between said sills and supported for lateral movement with respect to the draft gear and sills, said cou ling head extending rearwardly between sai front draft lugs and forming the front end wall of the yoke operatively cooperating with the front end of the draft gear.

17. fn a railroad car, a pair of draft sills with space between them for dra-ft rigging, a pair of front draft lugs attached respectively to the outer surfaces of the draft sills with inwardly extending portions beyond the front ends of the sllls to engage the draft rigging.,

18. fn a railroad car, a pair of draft sills with space between them for draft rigging, a pair of front draft lugs attached to the outer surfaces of the draft sills having downwardly depending portions formed to engage and directly support'. a carrier bar under the draftrigging space.l

19. ln a railroad car, a pair of draft sills with space between them for draft rig'ing, and a pair of front draft lugs attache respectively to the outer surfaces of the draft sills and constructed and arranged to opera tivelyY engage draft gear extending forward .ly between said sills. y

20. ln a railroad car, a par'of draft s1llsA with space between them for draft rigging, a pair of front draft lugs fixed to the draft sills and having their operative draft gear stop portions in front of the space between the sills, and a coupler head striking. bar connected to the front draft lugs and to the v draft sills.

21lpln aI railroad car, a pair of draft sills with space between them for draftsrigging, front draft lugs attached to the outer suraaeaeav faces of the draft sills, a striking bar joining the front draft lugs above the draft rigging space, and a carrier bar with detachably connected means joining the front draft lugs below the draft rigging space.

22. An automatic coupler head for railroad cars, provided with a draft-gear-receiving yoke integral therewith, said coupler head forming the draft gear beding face, said yokel having-.upper and lower horizontal bars merging forwardly into said head above and below, and overhanging said bung face of the head.

23. An automatic shankless Acou ler head for railroad cars having a rear sur ace forming a vertical transversely-curved draft-gearbuling face adapted to directly engage and cooperate with the front follower of draft gear, said head provided with means for assembling with draft gear to maintain said gear in operative draft and bung relation to said head.

24. An automatic coupler head for railroad cars, provided witha draft yoke integral therewith, said yoke and head provid- .ing a space for draft gear, said head being formed to cooperate with the front follower of the gear when assembled within the yoke,

said yoke having upper and lower horizontal bars merging forwardly into the upper and lower portions of said headabove and below said space, the yoke being of maximum strength atv its union with the head.

25. An automatic coupler head for' railroad cars, provided with a draft yoke integral therewith'and formed with longitudinal lill) bars merging forwardly and laterally into said head in rearward continuation of oppol site 'sides of the head, said head and yoke forming spa-ce to receive draft ear, the front end wall of said space being-'formed by the lrear end of the coupling head between said bars of the yoke. l

26. An automatic coupler head for railroad'cars, haring a rear end face constructed and arran ed to cooperate with draft gear when assembled with said head and locatedimrnediately in rear thereof, said head having a draft gear yoke forminv a rigid permanent part thereof and embodyinglongitudi- Anal bars constituting direct rearward continuations of the top and bottom faces ofthe v head and of the top and bottom portions of the opposite -side faces of said head.

f2?. An automatic coupler headand head supporting draft yoke unit for railroad cars,

said unit embodying a coupler head and ar yoke, the head forming 4the front end wall of the yoke, the yoke having longitudinal bars merging forwardly into the head with their outer surfaces in rearwardcontinuity of outer surfaces of the head, the maximum cross sections of the yoke being at its junction with the head.

28. An automatic coupler head and. yoke unit for railroad cars, the cou lex` headl of stitutin a rear buin'g face located approxisaid unit forming av rear vertica .b11 iiing;face` mately etween said lugs;Y draftd gear between i said yoke of the unit having u pervand lower said sills with 'its'front end immediatel be- 15 lon tudinal vbars merging gdrwardly into hind and in operative relation to said u- 5 sait?x head above and below said face and pro.- i ing face, and coupler head supporting and jecting laterallycat both vside edges immedidraft applying means' o erative y arranged ately above andbelow the ends of said f a'ce. with respect tosaiddra gear.` i

29. In combination, in a 'railroad oar, a In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 20 pair of draft sills having draft lugs arranged subscribed my name this twenty-eighth lday' 10 at the front ends of the sills, a coupler` head f of May, 1923.

extending between and formed for lateral A, movement with respect to said lugs and ooni I vCHAS. H. CLARK. 

